A House of Strangers
by BananLuna
Summary: If the light is off, I can not see you. Turn it on. In this house of nobodies, help me find my somebody. SasuNaru.
1. Chapter 1

Hello! I've written a few stories before, but this is the first one I'm putting up on this site, I hope it goes well. (: It will eventually be SasuNaru, but nothing explicit, and there are a few side pairings I think, but nothing that will interfere drastically with the story, I hope no one minds! It was meant to be a oneshot, but it got a little long so I've cut it down a bit. Maybe four chapters-ish?

X

The classroom was cramped with single desks. They were shoved together to form rows of chipped wooden workbenches perfect for desperate note takers to scribble barely legible words down. Currently students continued taking notes lethargically on said desks as the teacher droned on mercilessly at the head of the room in front on the full white board. Clouds floated mockingly by, noticed by all the classroom occupants as they clouds punctuated the otherwise flawless blue sky and the humid day. Many of the taunted students fanned themselves with useless handouts and scrap pieces of paper, trying to alleviate themselves even if only momentarily from the heat.

'_We should be out there with water balloons or something' _one teenager grumbled to himself in his head. He sighed and let his head drop onto his arm, lazily tracing patterns with his pen on his _dreadfully important notes, _or so his teacher declared them. There's only so many times that you can believe a teacher when they tell you that a particular lesson will be pivotal when it comes to completing the exams. His normally energetic attitude always seemed to be sapped down to zero in this class, whether the weather was decent or not. He took solace in the fact that the day was nearly over.

It was only when metal chair legs scrapped rapidly against the floor did sky blue eyes snap open, the owner not remembering when they had slipped closed but his bones suddenly re-energized and ready to get out of the energy sucking room. He slipped past his peers clumsily, apologising sheepishly as he went, and spotted a bubblegum tinted crop of hair amongst the crowd bouncing along.

"Sakura!" He called after her, jumping to encourage his voice to travel quicker to her ears. "Sakura, hey wait up!" She glanced behind and spotted the blond jumping around, grinning when he saw her notice him. She slipped out of the crowd into a doorway and the teenager made a beeline for her.

She greeted him with a punch to the shoulder.

"Oww." He complained, rubbing the sore spot.

"Yes well, you deserved that." She grumbled, smoothing her hair down with her hands then fixing her gaze on him. He pouted. "What? You did." She said petulantly. She sighed and dropped her hands. "Sorry, I just had Mr Hatake for Sociology." She grumbled again, as if that would be enough of an explanation. Apparently it was.

"Ohh, I get it. Your womanly powers not working on him?" He asked, grinning at her. The corridor grew quieter as the student either filed out into the sunshine or into the canteen to eat sugary snacks before their final lessons commenced.

"Nope, they're failing. I don't get it," She moaned and leaned against the doorframe. "I actually have to work in the lessons to get his attention. He acts so proper, but I've seen those porn novels in his desk draw." She said.

"Personally, you know, as a guy your age, I don't understand why you like him… he's old." He punctuated the word old like it was a dirty word. He suppressed a shiver.

"It's an older guy thing, they're more mature than guys our age." He grimaced at her and she shook her head, her hair flying around her face prettily. "Anyway, I don't want to discuss my love life with you, Naruto." She continued, cocking her head to the side and completely forgetting that she was the one who brought the topic up anyway. The hall was nearly completely empty, with a few stray students ambling around aimlessly, waiting for they're last period to begin. He linked his hands behind his head and slouched against the door beside her. She stood up straight.

"So anyway, are you busy tonight?" She asked, covering a yawn delicately with a manicured hand.

"Nope, why? You got any hardcore parties for me to attend?" He wondered hopefully, not even blinking at the blatant change of subject.

"As a matter of fact I do," She answered happily, her hand going up to hold onto her bag strap, the other at her side. "There's this guy, apparently he holds parties when his parents go away. Totally up tight family, anal older brother. But once they leave, his older brother lets him do what he wants, practically. Do you want to come?" She asked, producing lip balm from her skirt pocket.

"Free alcohol _and_ a place to crash? I'm already there!" He grinned, the expression lighting up his face causing him to squint his eyes in an action that on other people may have detracted from their looks, but on Naruto only highlighted them. Sakura tried to stop herself from smiling back long enough to dab sticky pink gunk on her pouty mouth. She smacked them together and then clapped her hands gleefully.

"Great! I knew you would be. Kiba's coming too so I'm sure Hinata will be there, and, you know, the usual lot." The shrill bell rang out at that moment and the hall began to fill steadily with students heading disdainfully to their final class of the week. Naruto cursed.

"Crap, I've got Kurenai next, meet me out the front at final bell!" She punched him in the arm as he moved passed her in a gesture of goodbye, Sakura herself having her final lesson in the opposite direction. She giggled and walked on, Naruto watching her go as her school bag thumped against her hip.

He turned his head to walk as his teacher came out of the teachers lounge.

"Kurenai! S'a pleasure to be in your class this lesson." He said, still grinning.

"That's Miss Yuhi to you, Naruto." She said as he matched her pace down the corridor. They reached the classroom door, Naruto stopping to allow her through first.

"Then it's Mr Uzumaki to you." He said, winking.

"Your charm is nauseating." She whapped him in the head with a stack of more 'important notes' and ushered him into the classroom first.

"It's ladies first Miss Yuhi." Naruto said cheekily, bowing ever so slightly.

"I'm not going to allow you free rein to stare at my rear end whilst I enter the classroom. In."

"Awww, you're no fun!" Naruto whined as he stomped into the classroom like a child ten years his junior and gracelessly fell into his normal desk, his teacher standing at the front of the class as the other students settled. She smiled inwardly to herself. _Yes, Naruto holds much of his father's charm, even if he has yet to refine it._

"Okay, does anyone remember last lesson when we spoke about the theories of Rousseau? I believe that…" Naruto zoned out as his teachers voice became unwelcome background noise as he tried to focus on the clock reaching four o'clock. The classroom was a mirror image of the one he had been in before, only with the desks arranged slightly different. The familiarity of the setting made his frustration grow, and he couldn't help his self from wanting to get to this random guys party to drown out the routine for a few hours with his friends and alcohol.

X

Naruto jogged down the front steps of the college, stopping at the flowerbeds to perch on the bricks. He shifted backwards and his feet dangled above the tarmac. He kicked them slightly as he waited. As people passed by, anxious to get home, he smiled and murmured goodbye's to people he barely knew. People who happened to be in his classes. Most of the people in his college knew of him; he tended to act out a bit during lessons when he got bored so he got branded as a bit of a nuisance. He wasn't really bothered what people thought of him. If they wanted to judge him before they knew him then fair game, he couldn't stop them, so he just got on with his life and didn't let it bother him. If anything, he quite liked the attention it brought.

"Naruto!" He glanced up to see his friend approach him from near the entrance gates of the college, waving energetically with his free hand, a dog leash in the other. As Kiba approached Akamaru barked a greeting at Naruto and sat panting at his feet.

"Hey man." Naruto said. Kiba clapped him on the shoulder, grinning.

"Dude, so ready for tonight. I'm going to get lashed out my nut, and then I'm going to let Hinata have her wicked way with me." He said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Careful what you say, I just might tell Neji."

"Dude, not cool. Seriously, he'd have my nuts in jar, and surprisingly I quite like them attached." Naruto laughed and made to kick him in his crown jewels, but Kiba swiftly covered them with his hands. "Dude!" He called out in a high-pitched voice.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything. Hey Kiba." Sakura announced herself as she stopped next to Naruto, neither of them having heard her approach. She gave the boys a smile, Kiba smiling back and nodding at her.

"Kiba was just telling me about how he wants to take advantage of Hinata tonight, right Kiba?" Naruto teased. Sakura shoved the dog boy in the shoulder, her smile forgotten.

"Don't talk about Hinata like that! She too innocent to do those types of things." Kiba rubbed his arm and opened his mouth to retort when Naruto shook his head behind Sakura's back. He grumbled, but kept his mouth shut.

"Come on guys, let's go." Sakura said, asserting the situation. "The sooner I can change and make myself look gorgeous the sooner we can get to the party." Kiba coughed into his head, muttering 'slut' in the midst of it. Sakura glared and he dropped his hand, a scared look on his face.

"Juts because a girl wants to look nice doesn't make her a slut." She jabbed a dainty but deadly nail into his chest. "Unless the girl is called Ino, then she most definitely is." She smiled and twirled in the direction of the gate, proceeding forward in her pink converse, expecting the boys to follow. The two boys exchanged a look.

"Girls are scary." Kiba concluded. Naruto nodded his agreement.

"Best stay on her good side then. Besides, she's our ticket to the party tonight." Naruto jumped down from the ledge and dug into his shoulder bag. "Pre-party drink?" He asked, offering a water bottle filled with a clear liquid to the boy as they followed Sakura out of the gate.

"I prefer something a little bit stronger than water, no offense." Naruto pushed him with a mock hurt expression on his face.

"What kind of guy do you think I am?" He asked. "This stuff is genuine." Kiba gave him a dubious look, took the bottle and sniffed it.

"Dude! You're bringing vodka to college?" He took a swig before Naruto could answer and squinted his eyes as he swallowed. He stuck his tongue out and gagged, shaking his head. Naruto laughed.

"What kinda man are you? Can't even take a little vodka." He stuck his tongue out and snatched the bottle from the brown haired boy, taking a gulp and wincing slightly. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and then screwed the lid back onto the bottle. "Piece o' cake." Naruto grinned and Kiba shoved him sideways. Naruto shoved him back and Kiba got him in a headlock, rubbing his knuckles into the blonds' head.

"You like that Blondie? Huh?"

"Get off me you douche!" Naruto laughed as they staggered through the college gates, Naruto blindly trying to hit Kiba with his plastic bottle. Kiba released him, both of them laughing. Sakura stood at the entrance of a side road, waiting for the two boys to join her. Naruto slid the bottle into his bag as they got closer to her.

"You boys done acting gay?" She asked, picking leaves off of a bush next to her, stripping them into sections and then letting them drop.

"Hmm, I like a bit of gay, don't you Kiba?" She tossed the shredded leaf particles at the two boys. They travelled further than she expected, no breeze scooping them up in the humidity. She wiped a hand across her forehead, a damp patch transferring onto her skin. She dried it on the back of her skirt with a grumble at the heat.

"Ohh I positively love a bit of homosexual interaction." Kiba said while she fidgeted, slinging an arm around Naruto's shoulder. Naruto grinned and pinched Kiba's butt. Kiba wiggled away quickly and Sakura giggled, putting a hand over her mouth as if to contain the sound.

"Maybe not that comfortable." Naruto laughed and Kiba scratched his cheek, pouting. Sakura let a burst of laughter out before shaking her head.

"You guys!"

"Could you stop shrieking?" Kiba asked, agitated. "Any higher and only Akamaru will be able to hear you." He grumbled, Akamaru wagging his tail at his side. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"I have to get ready." She stated, eyes narrowed. "All your homosexualing around is going to give me no time to straighten my hair properly. Can we just get to my house? I swear, you can grope each other all you like once we get there." She offered, hopeful. She started to walk and motioned the guys after her. They started ambling slowly after her, not bothering to try catching her up as she pounded the pavement with determined feet. When she was just out of earshot Kiba asked; "Do you think she knows her hair is already dead straight?"

"I'd ask, but I'm not quite that desperate, you know?" Kiba nodded his head; a moment of perfect understanding passing between them both as they slowly slid a hand in front of their crotches.

X

The two boys and Akamaru strolled up the gravel driveway of a detached two-storey house. Pink and yellow flowers sat neatly in the window boxes of the bottom storey; eggshell blue shutters that were never made for actually use adorning the side of the windows. High bushes encased the front garden and a pretty cluster of ivy crept stealthily from the left side of the house to above the white front door. The boys stepped onto the paved path leading to the entrance of the house. The door was open, though only a black void was visible through the afternoon glare of sun. A few butterflies bounced through the air, erratically changing direction as they flitted from flower to flower. Naruto felt that during the summer the front of Sakura's house felt much like wonderland, if not a slightly claustrophobic version. The drive was minus its matching car, seemingly increasing the size of the area. The boys reached the porch steps and Sakura appeared in the doorway clad in a short denim skirt, a t-shirt tied loosely at the back to make it slightly tighter and the same pink converse as she wore earlier. A toothbrush dangled from her mouth. She grasped it and continued brushing her teeth whilst she shook her finger in the direction of Kiba's dog.

"S'at musht can't comfe int myf houfe Kibaf." She garbled, twisting the toothbrush vigorously. Kiba gave her an odd look and then looked at Naruto.

"What'd she say?" He asked, looking for male understanding in Naruto that women were crazy.

"Telf himph Nafuto." She said, still pointing, only this time with wide eyes and a lot more foam dripping down her chin.

"Ewww." Kiba whined.

"She said 'the mutt can't come in my house.'" Akamaru whined and Naruto patted him on the head, a look of apology in his eyes. "I know, she can be mean sometimes huh?"

"How'd you even know that dude?" Kiba asked.

"I've hung around Sakura since we started school, you get used to it. Whether it was mud, sand… cake, you learn to understand."

"Arf you corling me fat?!" She asked angrily, foam flying at Naruto.

"Erm… no?" He said, a nervous smile on his face. She considered him for a moment with one eyebrow raised until she deemed him safe. She gave him a smile and then tottered happily up the stairs, humming to herself and gesturing the two teenagers loitering at her door to come in. She continued into her bedroom, out of sight. Naruto made to follow her until he heard the resounding click of paws on the wooden floor of the hallway.

"Dude, what are you doing? Sakura will go crazy! Why didn't you leave him at home?"

"Akamaru gets lonely." Kiba said, pouting and scratching the oversized dog behind the ears. "He likes to come with me, so I'm not leaving him out there on his own. Sakura can bite me, I don't care." Naruto didn't try to argue with him, knowing that Kiba was nearly as stubborn as he was. He sighed.

"If he shits, I'm not helping you clean it up." Naruto started walking up the stairs, Kiba close behind.

"He wont, he's well trained." Kiba assured Naruto. "Trust me."

"Don't say that. Why'd you have to say that? Now I don't trust you. He's going to shit, I know it." They argued as they went up the wooden stairs, the noise bouncing off the lilac walls.

"Dude, he won't shit! Seriously, you got some sort of psychic dog-bowel-movement powers all of a sudden?" They reached the landing and got to Sakura's bedroom, Naruto walking in and sitting on her bed. The room was white and pink, nice and airy as a fan whirred pleasantly in the corner, blowing the nets on every rotation. It was like the inside of a genie lamp, all sweet smelling and full of soft squishy cushions.

"It's one of my more useful powers, I'll admit." Naruto said grinning, reclining on her bed and lacing his hands behind his head. He turned his head and inhaled with closed eyes. Sakura's scent assaulted his nose and Naruto wrinkled it in distaste. It was slightly strong, but hey, it wasn't his bedroom. Naruto started to get comfortable, not caring that Kiba had failed to answer until Sakura came out of her en suite bathroom.

"Kibaaa!" Naruto snapped open an eye and saw a foamless Sakura pointing at said boy who was sitting on the floor with a startled Akamaru in his lap. "I told you, he has to stay outside! Why don't you ever listen?"

"Sakura, it's perfectly fin-"

"It is NOT fine!" Akamaru barked piteously. Kiba tried to keep hold of him but his pet struggled and got free, taking off out of the door and a quick pace and bolting around the corner, his lead flicking about as he went. Everybody's eyes watched him go.

"Akamaru!" Kiba clamoured after him, through the door quicker than Naruto had ever seen him move.

"Some fighting dog he is." Sakura mumbled, a blush creeping over her features as she fiddled with the tips of her hair. Naruto sat up and she glanced at him. "What?" She asked, and then bit her lip. "I'm sorry. It's just if mum comes home and finds him, she's going to get mad. I didn't mean to snap at Kiba but if I can't go out tonight I'm going to be so pissed." Naruto opened his mouth to say something when Kiba reappeared at the doorway.

"I can't find him." He said, his face stricken. "He's gone! I left the front door open, he must have legged it right out of here." Naruto got up and moved past Sakura.

"Kiba, I'm so sorr-"

"I just want my dog back!" Sakura put her hands over her mouth and looked at Naruto for help "I need to find him." Kiba said to himself, breathing strongly through his nose to calm his beating heart. "Help me find him!"

"Drink some of this." Naruto took the water bottle out of his bag from where he had dumped it on Sakura's floor and chucked it to Kiba. The boy grabbed it and undid the screw top in one quick motion, taking a gulp and putting the lid back on, tight.

"Seriously, I don't think Akamaru would just run blindly out into the neighbourhood. He isn't stupid. Chill dude, he's probably in the house somewhere, like under a table, or a dresser or something." Naruto accepted the bottle back from Kiba, patting him on his upper arm. "He'll be fine! How we can lose a dog that big I don't know." Naruto grinned and Kiba nodded at his summarisation as he stood up, his mouth still a grim line. Sakura crossed her room quickly and sat on the bed next to Naruto, but facing Kiba. A car pulled up the drive and Sakura sat up straight, alert.

"My mum's home." She announced to the occupants of the room, eyes wide. "Oh, God." A set of keys clicked in the door downstairs and it was pushed open.

"Sakura, Honey? Are you home?" A feminine voice wafted up the stairs, warm and energetic. The teenagers heard a set of keys dropped onto the hallway table, the front door shutting and shoes scuffling down the hallway.

"Ye-" Sakura cleared her throat and tried again, "Yeah mum, I'm up here with some friends." She looked around at her two friends and whispered to them harshly as her mum chattered randomly at her from downstairs. "Find that goddamn dog." She hissed. "I'm going to go distract my mum, just… just find Akamaru, okay?" She smiled nervously and left the room.

Kiba looked at Naruto as he stood to help. "Dude, I can not keep up with that girls mood swings."

"Yeah, they're nearly as bad as yours." Kiba pouted and Naruto laughed. "Come on, let's find Akamaru."

"My baby!"

The two boys left the room, Naruto taking the stairs two at a time and Kiba searching the rest of the upstairs. Naruto moved into the living room, ambling around. He checked behind the couch, behind the door. He opened some of the drawers as his failure to find Akamaru bred boredom, sifting through the old fisherman magazines he found there. He lifted one of the magazines out, flicking through until it stopped on the middle page. A topless model posed flirtatiously, her makeup exaggerated and her back arched. Naruto twisted the page to get a better look, nodding in approval. Naruto felt a presence behind him and twisted to see Kiba enter looking agitated.

"Dude, I can't find him anywhere. Maybe he really did run out of the door… hey, what're you looking at?"

"Check this out!" Naruto held up the magazine so Kiba could see the red-haired woman. "Mr Haruno is one naughty man, with good taste in women." The boys nodded in approval, Kiba whispering a 'sweet!'. The pair examined it more closely.

"Ohhh, baby." Kiba moaned, leaning in as if to kiss the woman. Naruto laughed as Kiba tried to make out with the page, the dark haired boy mussing the magazine in his enthusiasm.

"Hey, did you find Akam- what are you guys doing?" Sakura came out of the open door that led from the kitchen to the living room holding a bunch of bananas, a look of bizarre intrigue on her pretty face.

"Look what your dad keeps hidden!" Naruto plucked the wrinkled magazine from Kiba's hands and thrust it Sakura's direction. He wiggled it about, laughing as he did it. Sakura added the bananas to the fruit bowl and walked over to the boys, gaping at the picture.

"These are daddy's private magazines…" She took it from Naruto who became uncharacteristically quiet, Kiba following his lead. She bit her lip and closed it, putting it back in the open draw. Naruto winced guiltily at Kiba who shrugged with wide eyes, letting Naruto know that he had no clue either. "Can we just find Akamaru please?" Naruto put his hand on her shoulder but she shrugged him off, a tense smile on her face. "It's okay." She fanned herself with her hands, Naruto noticing how small they were, how small his friend suddenly looked. Due to her normally energetic (if not violent) behaviour she came off bigger than she was. Only in difficult situations could you tell how truly well built her outer façade was. Naruto watched as she visibly rebuilt herself, her back straightening and her eyes becoming charming and friendly again. "Why are you guys just standing there? We need to find Akamaru before my mum does." She nodded more to herself than anyone else and pushed the boys out into the hallway. "Mum's hanging some washing in the garden." She told them. The boys listened carefully. "We've got about five minutes."

Sakura took off into the kitchen again and Kiba followed her. Naruto walked briskly into the dining room, the entrance opposite the kitchen at the back of the house. He saw a tail sticking out from underneath one of the chairs and his face lit up in triumph.

"Guys! I found the dog!" At the sound of a familiar and friendly voice so close, Akamaru looked up from underneath the chairs pathetically and waddled out. Naruto scratched him behind the ear and he whined happily. He grinned and led him out into the hallway.

"Kiba! I found Akamaru! I found…" His head snapped up as the back door swung open and a slender, sandy haired women stepped through holding an empty washing basket. She shrieked, dropping the basket just as Sakura skidded into the hallway, Kiba close behind. She saw the scene and dropped her head with a defeated huff.

"Naruto you dick." Kiba said laughing, bending to hug Akamaru and just generally shower him in love. Sakura gave her mum a sheepish look, smiling. Naruto thought she looked like she was in a pain. Sakura's mum gave her an unfriendly look, motioning her into the kitchen. She sighed and turned after telling the boys to go into the front garden.

"Yes, if you boys would be so kind as to wait outside for my… daughter." She smiled, but it was strained, her eyes straying to the dog with distrusting eyes.

"Sure thing Mrs Haruno." Kiba said, too interested in Akamaru to notice her reaction.

The boys filed out of the house, sitting in a patch of shade on the front lawn so they didn't have to squint at each other. They heard a few raised voices in the house and then heavy footsteps as someone stormed up the stairs. Naruto bet it was Sakura.

"Sheesh, I'm glad she isn't my mum." Kiba muttered, eyeing the house warily.

"Dude, your mum's worse. I've seen her wield knives at you." Naruto answered.

"She does it to show her love." Kiba said as if it were normal. "I just don't think I could love a woman with no love for Akamaru." He added, stroking Akamaru on the belly as he stretched on the grass.

"That some fucked up love man." Naruto said jokingly, leaning back on his elbows. "And you don't have to love Sakura's mum, just stay on her good side. That way you stay on Sakura's good side too." Naruto nodded happily.

"But you landed Sakura in it." Kiba stated. Naruto winced.

"It was an accident! How was I to know that she was going to walk through the door right at the moment? Someone's out to get me."

"I think someone's out to get Sakura, not you." Kiba laughed, holding out his hand for Akamaru to give him his paw. The boys settled into a playful banter whilst they waited for Sakura to come out and tell them if she was grounded for life or not. She stormed out of the house in a whirl of her own anger to find the two boys arm wrestling, lying on their stomachs. Naruto cheated and used his free hand and Kiba chucked a handful of grass at him in retaliation.

She dropped onto the grass next to them, a lightweight cardigan and strappy shoulder bag having been added to her outfit. The boys ignored her presence for a moment and she huffed loudly to get their attention. Naruto looked at her, his eyes questioning. She closed her eyes.

"Your dog shat in my dining room." There was a moment of silence as the two boys looked from each other to Sakura. Naruto decided to fill it.

"I knew it!" Naruto rolled onto his back in hysterics, gripping his stomach as the laughter escaped him. Kiba looked sheepish and offered an apology. Naruto recovered momentarily before seeing Sakura's pissed face and then allowing his giggles to overcome him again. Sakura kicked him and he winced in pain before collecting himself a bit.

"Thanks to you shitbags," This set Naruto off again. Her eyes narrowed but she carried on. "Thanks to you guys, I'm grounded after tonight."

"After tonight?" Kiba asked and she nodded. "So you can still come tonight then?"

"Yeah, mum said it was because I got good mock results." She shrugged. "I wasn't going to question it."

"Hell no." Naruto added in as he gathered himself, small bouts of laughter escaping occasionally. He had the water bottle in his hand, the lid on the grass. "You know, for a hardcore chick you sure are scared of your mum." Naruto mused before taking a swig and shaking his head rapidly as if to dispel the taste.

"Yeah well, you haven't seen my mum angry."

"Don't worry, we heard her. S'enough for me." Kiba said, motioning the bottle from Naruto who passed it over. Blue eyes looked concernedly at green ones, but Sakura just smiled.

"Ohh, alcohol? Gimme." She said, her hands reaching for the bottle like an infant would. Kiba passed it over to her after taking a gulp.

"That woman had a great rack though." Kiba said, scratching his chin.

Sakura looked at him, appalled. "That's my mum you're talking about! Oh eww, that is so gross."

Kiba looked confused for a moment, then shook his head rapidly. "What? No! No, not you're mum. She's old." Sakura frowned at him. He stuttered. "I mean, erm, for an older lady she's great, I mean, her rack his…" He trailed off, Sakura and Naruto giving him twin looks of confusion. "Oh for fuck's sake, I meant the babe in magazine. Jesus, I wasn't hitting on your mum." Kiba grumbled, annoyed.

Naruto shoved him, hissing his name as a warning. Kiba muttered a 'what?', but Sakura just laughed.

"Yeah well, that woman had nice boobs if you like them fake." She said.

"Fake?!" The two boys chorused, forgetting their momentary conflict. She paused with the bottle at her lips, giving them a look of disbelief. She removed the bottle with an odd sucking sound and nodded whilst wiping her mouth with her fingertips.

"Duh. Yeah, of course they were." Sakura chuckled. "Too perfect to be real."

"You've ruined my image of booooobs!" Kiba moaned, covering his eyes dramatically. She giggled at him. Naruto smiled slightly at seeing her mood lifted. She saw Naruto grin and it became infectious until they were all laughing.

The sun had slipped behind the high bushes around the house, leaving most of the front in shade. Sakura rubbed her arms to keep the chill at bay, then checked her watch.

"Oh, wow. Guys it's six o'clock. I don't know where this guys house is so we kinda had better leave now." They all got up and brushed themselves down. Sakura got her trusty lip balm out and touched up her mouth with the help of a compact mirror that she produced from her bag.

"I have to drop Akamaru back at home, so I'll meet you guys outside college in half an hour, 'kay?" Kiba said, walking down the drive. Sakura nodded and Naruto yelled a 'see you in a bit'.

"I love you really Akamaru!" Sakura called, and the dog barked happily as if he understood before the pair disappeared onto the street past their private wonderland. Having shared the bottle around, they all felt a little happy. Sakura told Naruto she was going to tell her mum that they were leaving, so Naruto stood at the driveway entrance, glancing up and down the street as he waited. When Sakura came bouncing out the front door he was kicking a pebble just outside her driveway entrance.

"All ready." She announced and they took off down the street together to meet Kiba. After a minute or so of walking Naruto broke the silence.

"About the magazines…" He offered her the bait, wondering if she'd take it and talk. The sun was sinking in the sky so the humidity wasn't as severe as before, a slight breeze trailing its fingers over their bare skin.

"Oh its nothing. To be honest, I think I over reacted a little. They're only pictures." She said, shrugging.

"If it was nothing, why'd you get so upset?" She laced her hands behind her back.

"Well, it's just mum and dad, you know, have been arguing more than usual lately. I'm just being silly."

"What're they arguing about?"

"Oh, you know… stuff. I don't think mum finding out about those pictures will help stuff."

"Stuff." Naruto stated. She nodded at him and smiled. The blond remained unconvinced but he wasn't going to push it, so he smiled back. "Okay." He said.

"Okay? Just… okay?" She questioned, her eyes roaming over his face as if trying to detect any clues as to why Naruto gave up on the conversation so easily. "That's not like you. You'd normally pester me until I told you."

"If you want to talk to me Sakura, you know you can. Talk to me when you want to." He said, grinning. She smiled prettily at him.

"Naruto… you're so soft!" She bumped his shoulder softly and he bumped her back. They continued in silence for a few steps until Naruto stretched.

"So, where is this party at anyways?"

"Near the Sabaku's house." She said, grateful for the topic change. "Just down the road from there actually, now that I think about it." She mused.

"Are you serious?" Naruto gaped, "This guys house must be huge! Sweet, this is going to be awesome." He pumped his fists forward in a happy motion until he was pulled backwards by an arm around his neck. Kiba appeared between him and Sakura, his other arm around Sakura's neck.

"What's up motherfuckers!"

"Oh my God." Sakura moaned, a hand over her heart. "Kiba you ass!" She tried to hit him with a fist over her head but he released them both and darted back a few steps, laughing.

"Lets go, bitches! The alcohol isn't going to drink its self, lets get rollin'!" Naruto let out a 'woop!' of agreement, Sakura tut-ing as a man across the road gave them a look of disapproval and an adult-like shake of his head. The trio ambled down to the bus stop at the end of the road, eagerly awaiting the beginning of the night.

X

I hoped you liked it, please let me know what you think! :D Luna

P.S Homosexualing is totally a word, even if spell check denies it ;D


	2. Chapter 2

Hello (: I thought I'd post the second chapter seeing as how it was all finished, I hope you enjoy it. :D

X

"I can't believe it took an hour and half to get here." Sakura grumbled as they walked down a dimly light road. The sun had sunk behind the horizon and a splashing of stars twinkled in the sky, faintly blocked by the light of the streetlamps. One blinked on belatedly above them as they passed under it and Naruto jumped slightly. Sakura glanced at him.

"Where's this house anyway?" He said, trying to hide his dislike of the creepy road. "It's way too quiet out here." He grumbled, "Gives me the creeps."

"Awww, is widdle Naruto scared of the big bad ghostie whosties?" Kiba asked, blinking wide eyes at him.

"Dick." Naruto said, shoving him. Kiba stumbled into the road and stuck his tongue out playfully. Naruto stuck his hands into his jean pockets. "Anyway, I'm a man." He said, sticking out his chest.

"Boo." Sakura whispered into his ear after leaning towards him. Naruto shrieked and attached himself to Kiba's arm, who laughed. She smiled at him and he huffed at her.

"Sakuraaaa, why're you so mean?" He moaned, letting go of Kiba. They rounded a corner and heard loud music booming from a house up ahead, the front lights on and illuminating the ample sized front garden.

"Found the party!" Kiba announced, his mood positively sparkling.

As they approached the house the front door opened and a girl stumbled out, a bottle of some sort of amber liquid in her right hand. She was followed by two guys holding bottles of beer, who Naruto could only assume were her friends. Music pounded through the door until it drifted shut again. The girl saw Kiba and Naruto walking up the grassy incline with Sakura behind them, but her gaze was unsteady. The red-haired bespectacled girl was quite pretty until she retched and dropped to her knees in front of a row of geraniums, her skirt hitching up to reveal frilly black French Knickers. Sakura gave her look of pity. Kiba wolf whistled and the girl gave him a one-fingered salute over her shoulder, before puking into the flowers. Kiba let out a hearty laugh, whilst the slimmer of the two teenagers with the puking girl pulled her skirt down, giving Kiba a dirty look. Kiba wiped his eyes while his laughter quietened but Sakura's eyes grew wide when she saw the teenager's pointier-than-normal teeth; she ushered her two friends into the house quickly, mumbling about guys and mucho crap.

The atmosphere was booming as the trio entered the house, music blaring from the dimly lit front room to their left. Kiba patted Naruto on the shoulder without so much as a glance at him and surged forward with admiral determination to find some booze. Sakura glanced at Naruto who grinned his famous mischievous grin and motioned with his head that they go into the front room.

The room was conservatively decorated from what was visible in the poor light. Tastefully chosen pictures of nondescript countryside adorned the pale walls, a vase of roses sitting prettily on the light marble fireplace. Oddly, Naruto thought, none of the furniture had been moved around in the room to create more space, so a cluster of teenagers danced energetically around the glass coffee table. A pair of couples sat making out on the leather sofas, practically underneath the dancers. Most of the floor space was taken up with bodies dancing. The rest of the room was filled with small groups of people drinking from bottles of whatever alcohol they could get hold of, leaning in too close to people they barely knew and chasing after people they normally would have had no courage to.

Naruto glanced at Sakura and saw her nodding her head to the music and removing her cardigan. She tied it around her waist and then put her hand on Naruto's arm.

"Ino should be in here somewhere." She yelled over the music just as the bubbly blonde emerged through a door at the end of the room. A splash of harsh clinical light that often denotes a kitchen spilled into the room momentarily, a few of the closer party goers putting their hands up in front of their faces as if to ward the light away. Ino paid them no mind, too busy sweeping the room with her gaze. Sakura waved to get her attention, the blonde noticing them loitering at the hallway entrance. She sauntered over, her skirt swaying dangerously high over her thighs.

"Sakura!" She yelled, grinning and handing her friend her half empty drink. "I didn't know if you were going to get here, I was expecting you ages ago. I've been waiting for you guys. " Sakura accepted the drink, a glass with an ominous clear liquid in it.

"We got a bit lost." Sakura admitted. Ino shrugged and then grinned at Naruto. Sakura bristled slightly at Ino's dismissal, taking a gulp of her drink out of agitation.

"Naruto!" She shrieked, giving him a fierce hug. "Babe! It's been ages! I'm so glad you came." She kissed him on the cheek and pulled back, smiling. "It's not the same, not going to the same school." Naruto blushed slightly and grinned, scratching the back of his head.

"Good to see you too, I'll have to leave it longer next time I see you if that's the kind of reaction I get."

"Aww, you're such a charmer Naruto." She said, putting her hand on his face. Sakura eyed Ino strangely, but Naruto failed to catch it. "Oh! You don't have a drink. Let me get you one." She said, winking. She twirled dramatically and stalked, Naruto presumed, in the direction of the kitchen. A few pairs of hungry male eyes watched her go. The bubbly blonde flourished under the attention, her dazzling smiling never faltering until she vanished through the door at the end of the room. Sakura huffed and Naruto bent his head to hear her.

"What the hell is she doing? I could see all the way up that flimsy skirt of hers, what, does she want every guy to make a pass at her tonight?"

"I thought she liked Shikamaru?" Naruto offered, his eyebrows raised.

"Yeah, well, so did I. And why is she acting like she owns the place huh? Getting us drinks and stuff." Sakura pouted.

"Come on Sakura, don't get pissed about it, we're here to have fun and hopefully get crunk." He said, grinning. Sakura looked up at him and smiled reluctantly.

"Yeah." She said, her mood lifted.

"Look who I found!" Ino sang as she re-approached the pair. She pushed Kiba and Hinata forward and threw her arms around their shoulders. Kiba grinned and offered a bottle of beer to Naruto, who accepted.

"Hi Naruto." Hinata offered meekly, glancing up at the blond. She wore a lilac short-sleeved dress, the silky looking material falling to her knees and the front covering her ample chest conservatively. Her black sheer tights, patent dolly shoes and sparkly flower hair slide all added to the illusion that she was younger than she was.

"What?" Naruto yelled over the music, leaning in slightly with his eyebrows drawn together. She opened her mouth, then thought better of it and shook her head with a smile. Naruto shrugged with a grin.

"Hey, you guys, why don't we go into the hallway or something? S'too loud to chat in here!" Ino shouted, pointing to the lit hallway behind them with a purple painted nail. Kiba nodded, and after wriggling out of the pale blonde's arm lead Hinata out, the others following. A couple were tongue battling furiously at the side of the stairs. Ino pushed passed them and the throng of other bodies, telling them to get a room.

"There's plenty upstairs." She offered, and the couple scowled before the girl pulled on the hazy eyed guys hand and yanked him up the stairs, vanishing. "Amateurs." Ino tutted. They ended up in the dining room, the adjustable overhead light set to low. The group stood in the far corner, the only area big enough for the five of them that was away from the other partygoers. The atmosphere was less erratic, although the room was full of a bouncy hum of drunken conversation and giggles.

"How'd you know about the rooms upstairs?" Sakura asked, now that she didn't have to shout to be heard. She stood sipping her drink while Ino replied.

"Scooped it out." She said, grinning.

"You're such a slut!" Kiba said, laughing. Hinata reprimanded him with a small tap on his arm and he looked at her apologetically.

"Hey," Ino said petulantly. "I'm a good girl now. I'm positive Shikamaru is going to crack soon." She smiled wistfully.

"After all the stick you've been giving him I'm surprised he hasn't already." Sakura said, taking a gulp of her drink. Ino pouted.

"Don't get all huffy with me just because you're all single and lonely. Ohh, hey! Let me help you get a guy tonight! It'll be fun." Ino said playfully, hands on her hips.

"No thanks. I can see how desperate you're getting just by looking at your outfit." Sakura said point blank. Hinata put a hand over her mouth, Kiba trying not to laugh.

"Catfight!" He announced.

"Girls," Naruto intervened as Ino bared her teeth, a look of unease on his face. He had his arms out in front of them to keep them separate. Sakura pouted and took another swig of her drink, intent on letting a haze of alcohol cloud her mind. Ino shook her head as if to dispel any bad atmosphere, her long blonde hair bouncing around her face. Naruto dropped his arms.

"I'm thinking of getting a tattoo you guys." Ino announced, smiling. Kiba face-palmed.

X

An hour and a considerable amount of alcohol later, the group lounged on the red-carpeted floor of the dining room. Kiba sat with his back against the cream wall with Hinata sat between his bent legs. Her back rested against his chest, her knees drawn together to preserve her dignity. Naruto sat cross-legged in between the two remaining girls, Sakura with her legs stretched out in front of her and Ino leaning her back against Naruto's side.

"Well, I think it's a good idea." Ino slurred, thrusting her drink forward and allowing some of the liquid to slosh over the side. "I might get a heart on my hip." She said, patting the damp spot on her skirt, an absentminded look on her face. Kiba burped and Hinata giggled. Naruto frowned.

"How did you all get so drunk, and I'm practically sober?" Naruto moaned, taking another gulp from his bottle.

"I might get a man with a lawnmower." Ino droned, ignoring her blond friend. Her eyes blinked independently.

"Where would ya put that?" Sakura asked, leaning around Naruto and nearly head butting his chin. Naruto groaned and held her up. "Silly Naruto. You're my bestest ever friend Naruto. I like you more than chocolate cake for breakfast." She said, nodding happily.

"Thanks… I think."

"I like cake a lot." She stated.

"I'm gonna get it right next to my hip, near my-"

"Lady garden." Hinata interjected. Her cheeks were flushed a pretty pink and her eyes were closed. Ino and Sakura tried to focus on her, amazement on their drunken faces. Kiba moved her fringe from her forehead and she smiled.

"Lady garden!" Ino shrieked, rolling onto the floor in laughter. Sakura giggled and put her head in Naruto's lap. "My lawnmower man could trim my lady jungle." Ino said between bouts of laughter. Sakura heaved herself up onto her arms and blearily tried to focus on Ino.

"I thought it was a lady garden. It makes it pretty sounding." Ino stopped laughing, dramatic crocodile tears in her eyes.

"I don't have a lady garden anymore." She said, her bottom lip trembling. Naruto raised an eyebrow at her comment.

"It's okay Ino!" Sakura said, launching herself over Naruto's legs to hug the other girl. They cuddled over Naruto, Sakura sporadically patting Ino on the back. Naruto leant on his arms, his head reeling backwards so he could see the ceiling.

"I want Shikamaru." Ino announced, pouting as she got up. Naruto lifted his head and watched her as she staggered to the door, leaving a collapsed Sakura in his care. "M'be right back." She said, disappearing around the dining room door. The other occupants in the room had also decided to sit on the floor, a game of spin the bottle occurring on the other side of the room. Random cheers and drunken encouragement rumbled around the room. Hinata had turned herself around between Kiba's legs and was kneeling, an eyeliner in her hand. Kiba smiled as she trailed the makeup pen over his face in fancy swirls, giggling as she went. Sakura saw what she was doing and crawled over.

"Sakura, I can see you're panties." Naruto said, wiggling his eyebrows. She tried to swat at him with her hands, but miscalculated the weight she had on them and instead introduced her face to the carpet.

"You pervert." She grumbled, lifting her head up. She sat back on the carpet. Her face was flushed, but now there was an added carpet burn to her cheek. "Oww." She moaned pathetically, cradling the abused area with her hand. "This is your fault."

Naruto blanched. "Do you want me to get you a cold tissue for it or something?" He asked, trying to be helpfully.

"Nope." She said, continuing to crawl to Kiba. "Lemme." She said when she reached Hinata. The dark haired girl nodded and handed her the pen. Sakura drew a penis next to his mouth and Hinata giggled. Naruto couldn't help himself and laughed as well, wondering if the alcohol was finally starting to affect him.

Ino burst through the door and dropped to the floor next to Naruto. Naruto looked surprised at her face, her cheeks streaked with real tears, unlike earlier. Her crystal like blue eyes were the clearest he had ever seen them. She covered her face with her hands.

"He's…! With that… trampy… doesn't even like short skirts…." She mumbled into her hands, and then dropped her head onto his shoulder.

"Ino, what's wrong?" He asked, putting a hand on her back.

"Shikamaru! He's my problem." She sniffled. "My big, fat, oddly attractive problem. Naruto… I don't know what to do." She lifted her head up to look at him. "I was really trying…." Sakura heard Ino sobbing so she stumbled over and dropped to the floor, pulling her friend into a hug.

"I'll hit him for you." She whispered loudly into Ino's hair. Naruto rolled his eyes. Sakura tended to be a violent drunk. Ino dropped her head dramatically into Sakura's lap and continued sobbing, Sakura stroking her hair and cooing nonsense in her general direction. Naruto looked over at Kiba for support, but his brunet friend was too busy sucking face with Hinata to care about the mess he was sitting next to.

"Hinata isn't as shy when she's drunk." He muttered to himself as he got to his feet. Her midnight hair was curtained around her face, but Naruto could make out pale feminine hands fisted in Kiba's t-shirt. He glanced at Sakura who appeared to be rubbing Ino's mascara soothingly all over her face, muttering words of comfort into her hair. Naruto frowned and then shrugged, leaving the room. Girls were always better at comforting each other.

He walked through the hallway, glancing around to see if he recognized any one, but failing to see any familiar faces. The house looked a mess from what was visible, half bottles of alcohol left in the hallways, obnoxious stains oozing over the floor. Naruto got a shock as a girl burst through a side door with no top on, laughing loudly as a group of guys followed behind her. She giggled and disappeared into the booming front room, her entourage following closely after her. He trudged into the kitchen, grabbing a nearly full bottle of vodka from the black granite kitchen top. The kitchen looked expensive if you looked beyond the mess it was in, an old style stove sitting in the middle of the far wall complete with flashy extractor fan. A guy stood in front of the sink looking a little worse for wear, his entire upper body bent over and his hands tangled in his hair. One of the black leather breakfast bar stools was knocked over from its place beside the island, a girl's leg dangling in its place. Her other leg was tucked underneath her, and she had a pocketknife in her hand poised over a wooden chopping board. A large one and zero were etched into it, and she was adding another beside it. Naruto looked at her and she nodded. He nodded back with a raised eyebrow. He shook his head at the bizarre interaction as she went back to her task at hand. Naruto decided to head for the back door, only to be stopped when Shikamaru called out to him from the entrance. The blonde turned around to see him.

"Naruto. Have you seen Ino?" He asked.

"She's in the dining room. Not sure you should go in there though, she's in a bit of a state." Shikamaru rubbed his head and muttered under his breath. "S'not cool man." Naruto said.

"It wasn't my best move." He answered before disappearing down the corridor. Naruto turned back to the door and walked into the back garden's patio area, shrugging to himself. He cared about Ino, but there wasn't anything he could do. Outside was nicely silent after the music blaring in the house. He took a gulp from his bottle, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and letting the back door shut. The patio was sectioned off with a row of small bushes, the garden beyond full of grass. The artificial light from the kitchen glowed around the paved area, and Naruto found himself seeking some solitude on the grass away from the light. He walked up the garden path leading into an area shaded in partial darkness until he nearly stumbled over a dip in the path.

"Jesus Christ," Naruto mumbled to himself, holding the hand with the bottle in up to his beating heart.

"He wont help you." A voice answered, causing Naruto to gasp in surprise.

"Who's there?" He called out, eyeing the darkness warily. "I have alcohol and I'm not afraid to use it."

"I'm not a pervert, if that's what you're wondering." The voice answered. Naruto deduced it was a guy, so he wondered over to the area he thought it was coming from. Once he got closer he could make out the guys face and could see he was sitting at a garden table set.

"I didn't think you were a pervert." Naruto answered. "Just a another party drunk." He said, grinning.

"I'm not drunk." The dark haired teenager announced, his head propped up by his hand, a bored look on his face.

"Me neither." Naruto stumbled as he veered off the path over to the table the stranger sat at. The boy raised an eyebrow mockingly. "Well… not that much." Naruto said sheepishly. The blonde pulled a chair out opposite the already occupied one and dropped himself into it, propping his feet up on the table and then taking a gulp from his bottle.

"So!" Naruto said, trying to start a conversation. "What'cha doing out here all alone?"

"The party got a little boring, don't you think?"

"Boring?!" Naruto spluttered. "There's a girl running round with no top on in there!" He said disbelievingly, motioning over his shoulder with his thumb.

"Why aren't you in there then?" The guy asked.

Naruto frowned and dropped his hand.

"Good question." He said, the frown on his face deepening. "Nice pair of jugs she had as well, all bouncy and full of life." He grinned and emphasised his point by giving a demonstration of just how much life they had with his hands. "Bigger than Sakura's boobs. Oh, don't tell Sakura I said that." Naruto's eyes grew wide.

"Hn." The boy frowned at the blonds' appreciation of the so-called female asset.

"Good." Naruto said, ignoring the look and relaxing. "Dude, I feel sorry for whoever's house this is. It's a mess in there, no jokes. I don't even want to know what is going on in the spare bedrooms… and other random areas of the house." He laughed around the neck of his bottle and swallowed some more. "You know, I haven't even met the guy's whose house this is. Strange, huh?"

"Very." The stoic boy muttered, taking a gulp of beer from a bottle he produced from goodness knows where.

"Yeah, I know right? I thought I'd get to meet him at some point. Hey, what's your name?"

"Who wants to know?" The boy asked.

"Ermm, me, you bastard." Naruto said, laughing. "We're the only ones here!"

"Yes I know, I was referring to your name."

"Hey, I asked first." Naruto said, pouting. The other boy sighed.

"Sasuke."

"Whatnow?" Naruto asked unintelligently, one eyebrow raised.

"My name. It's Sasuke." Sasuke said, staring at the blond with an unidentifiable look in his eyes.

"Ohh." Naruto said, nodding. "I'm Naruto." He grinned. "So, do you know whose house this is?" Naruto asked, raising his bottle to his lips.

"It's mine." Naruto choked on his alcohol, the liquid gliding harshly down the wrong way in his throat. He swung his legs off of the table and started coughing violently, the bottle in his hand forgotten on the grass as he held his hands to his throat.

"Shit." Sasuke cursed, getting out of his chair and rounding the table quickly to get to Naruto's side. He put his hand on Naruto's back in an awkward attempt to offer comfort as the blond tried to draw in oxygen through his coughing.

"I'm okay." Naruto wheezed after a few moments, trying to smile around his coughing. Tears had collected at the corners of his eyes, the light from the porch reflecting on their bright blue colour.

"Jesus, you must be some kind of moron. How could you not know this is my house?" Sasuke asked bluntly, retracting his hand and putting it over his eyes.

"What?!" Naruto exploded at him slightly. Sasuke moved his hand down to his nose to reveal his gaze, giving Naruto his attention. "If you'da just told me this was your house when I first came over then I wouldn't have been surprised when you told me. I'm not a mind reader. I could've died. And you would've killed me." He mumbled, letting out a small cough. "Bastard."

"That's not exactly a normal conversation starter." Sasuke stated, taking his seat now that Naruto seemed fine.

"Well, you don't exactly seem normal so far." Naruto snapped, wiping the moisture from his eyes and sitting back in the chair. Sasuke raised an eyebrow. Naruto let out another cough for sympathy's sake and cocked his head in Sasuke's direction.

Sasuke ignored him and picked up his beer from where he had discarded it on the table. Naruto studied him as he took a gulp from the bottle. His hair was styled in fashionable spikes at the back of his head, bangs falling around the front of his face. Even in the sparse light Naruto could see that the teenager had quite a pale complexion, raven dark eyes like a shock in the midst of his face. Naruto couldn't deny that the other teenager was attractive, and it made him frown in his scrutiny.

Sasuke launched his beer bottle cap at Naruto's head.

"Wake up, moron."

"Hey!" Naruto said, rubbing his head where the cap had struck him.

"You were staring at me like the cat who wanted the cream." Sasuke said, smirking.

"More like the cat who wanted to be the cream." Naruto muttered to himself, scratching at his cheek. He fiddled with his own out of control mop of hair.

"I heard that."

Naruto spluttered, "No you didn't! I didn't even say what you thought I said, I said something different. And I don't even like cream, just for your information." Naruto stuck his tongue out.

"So you don't want… any cream?" The dark haired boy asked, still with a smirk on his face.

"You!" Naruto spluttered. "You're putting words in my mouth, you dick. If you want to be told how fit you are, go find one of those easy chicks in your living room." Naruto sulked into the chair, his back slouching. "You can keep your damn cream." He mumbled into his t-shirt collar.

"I think you're missing my point." The dark haired boy said drolly, his eyes fixed on Naruto.

"I think you're missing my point." Naruto imitated childishly, executing a poor version of Sasuke. He guzzled down the rest of the vodka, hiccupping as he finished it and wiping his mouth. Sasuke arched an elegant black eyebrow at him.

"You're going to be sick if you drink like that all the time." Sasuke said, sipping his own bottle.

"Yeah well, I don't care." Naruto said childishly.

"Hn." Sasuke uttered, the pair settling into silence. After a few minutes the garden started wobbling slightly and Naruto brought his hand up to his head. He groaned and Sasuke glanced down at him.

Naruto mumbled something and Sasuke frowned.

"What'd you say?" He asked.

"Bathroom." Naruto said through his fingers. He tried to focus on Sasuke's face, his gaze dancing around the other boy's face without being able to stick to his eyes. "Help…!" Naruto said, desperation seeping into his clear blue eyes. Sasuke groaned and got up, moving to stand in front of the blond. Naruto reached his hand out, his body lurching forward as he heaved unpleasantly. The dark haired boy pulled the blonde up with his arm, supporting Naruto's weight as they stumbled towards the door.

"This isn't how I planned to spend my evening." Sasuke said through gritted teeth, dragging the blond down the garden path to the patio are and then hauling him through his back door. _I don't know why I'm doing this; this isn't how I wanted tonight to go. Itachi… _Sasuke thought, irritated. Naruto rolled his head onto Sasuke's shoulder as they stumbled over the threshold.

"Quickly." He moaned pathetically into the raven's ear.

"Fucking moron." Sasuke cursed as the pair stumbled haphazardly through the kitchen door. A tall, dark haired teenager with glasses moved to allow them through, his eyes showing his confusion.

His hand coming up as if to halt the pair as they passed by him. "Sasuke?" He voiced the name as a question, as if he had never said it before.

"What?" Sasuke asked, turning with jerky movements to look at the boy. The glasses clad boy dropped his arm. "I'm a little busy," Sasuke said sarcastically, "In case you hadn't noticed. Do I know you?" He said, arching an eyebrow impatiently.

"I don't believe…" He trailed off as he had only just registered the blond leaning heavily on Sasuke. He let a somewhat fake smile crawl over his face. "He's quite good looking, for a blonde. How's the size of his penis for you?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"I wouldn't know," He said, a predatory smile crawling over his features, "yet." He didn't wait for a reply, leaving the other boy to stand at the back door aimlessly. He passed through one of the kitchen's doors, leading him to the main hallway. He'd ignored all of the other occupants of the kitchen who had been standing around drinking and watching. He walked forward, awkwardly trying to keep Naruto walking as well, the smile dropping from his face in his annoyance. They walked passed the entrance to the dining room just as a girl with pink tinted hair came out, followed by a messy looking blonde.

"Move." Sasuke said, Sakura plastering both of them to the wall to create room for him and his incapacitated companion. Ino dropped her head onto Sakura's shoulder, her thumb in her mouth. Her makeup had dried in black rivers down her face. Sakura watched her best male friend be dragged up the stairs by an unknown guy.

"Ino, did'ja see that?" Sakura asked, her arm around Ino's waist. Her neck strained unsuccessfully to follow them beyond the top of the stairs. Ino shook her head, her eyes at half-mast.

"He was hot. Naruto got lucky." She stated, nodding in approval.

"Ogle guys later, look after me first." Ino moaned, shifting on her feet. "Naruto isn't even gay." She added.

"Yeah, I know." Sakura sighed, leading Ino into the front room, hopefully to find a free sofa to dump her on. "That guy was hot though."

X

Naruto continued to try to empty his stomach into the once pristine toilet bowl, bile drying on his chin. Sasuke sat unsympathetically against the matching white bath, looking vaguely bored.

"I've got no sympathy for you." He stated, looking at the blond.

"Shut up." Naruto groaned, then retched again. He was on his knees, his arms practically hugging the bulb part of the toilet and his face resting on the wooden seat. Someone barged in through the unlocked door, a hand over their mouth in search for a toilet to let loose in. "Occupado." Naruto said miserably, Sasuke arching an eyebrow at the brunet at the door who grumbled and stumbled out again. As the door clicked shut Naruto sat back on his rear end and gazed pathetically at Sasuke.

"I feel better… I think." He said, his blond hair sticking to his face with sweat, his bottom lip sticking out slightly, glistening with spit and other grosser fluids.

"Good to know." Sasuke answered, getting up and wetting a royal blue flannel. He crouched next to Naruto and offered it to him.

"What do I want a flannel for?" He asked, vaguely confused. He closed his eyes, but his eyebrows remained frowning. Sasuke sighed, settling next to Naruto with his legs crossed.

"Wipe your face." He instructed, handing it to Naruto again. Naruto tried to snatch it but missed the first time. He tried again and then wiped it over his face once, dropping it into his lap. Naruto downed the glass of water Sasuke had put next to him earlier, spitting it out into the toilet after swirling it around his mouth. Sasuke picked up the discarded flannel and used his hand to turn Naruto's face to his by his chin. Naruto moaned but Sasuke wiped the other boy's mouth properly. Once he was done he chucked it into the sink, leaning back and grabbing some mouthwash from the cupboard under it. He faced Naruto again and unscrewed the cap, pouring some of the pink liquid into it and telling Naruto to wash his mouth out. Naruto obliged.

"S'better." He said after spitting it out.

"Good." Sasuke said, then he leant in and placed a closed mouth kiss on Naruto's open mouth. He sat back and watched the blond visibly sober.

"You just…" He said incredibly, his eyes wide and disbelieving.

"Yeah." Sasuke said, un-phased.

"But, I'm a guy." Sasuke nodded, not seeing where this was going. "I have a wang…" Naruto said slowly, nodding along with Sasuke.

"I'm fully aware of what a male is equipped with." The dark haired boy said, chuckling slightly. Naruto blushed.

"Why did'ja do that?" Naruto asked, his chin jutting out in confusion.

"I know why you came into my garden. You don't need to keep up this act you've got going on." Came the matter-of-fact answer. The dark haired boy tilted his head.

"But m'not gay." Naruto said, covering his eyes with his arm and leaning on the toilet. Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"It doesn't matter. It's just a bit of fun. " He said, scratching his chin. Naruto shook his head at the overload of information.

"M'not sure." He said, peeping at Sasuke through his arm. Sasuke bit the inside of his cheek. _If this is the way you want it…_ Sasuke thought.

"We're both drunk, just try it. You might like it." He leant in again, impatient, Naruto moving to lean against the wall. _Why does Itachi think I like game playing…_ Sasuke followed and let his mouth above Naruto's.

"Go on then." Naruto said, his voice slightly wobbly but firm. "We're drunk." He said again, as if to affirm that it was perfectly normal. _Finally._ Sasuke's nose brushed his and then their mouths touched, tentatively. Sasuke's mouth moved over Naruto's after two gentle butterfly kisses, almost as if to test the waters, to see if Naruto was really okay with it. Naruto responded, his arms coming up to circle around the dark haired boys neck.

Naruto moaned slightly when Sasuke licked the seam of his lips, obliging the boy by opening his mouth and allowing Sasuke to deepen the kiss. Sasuke's mouth was talented, Naruto registered, even through his hazy brain. His tongue was gliding over his teeth, fighting with the pink muscle it found beyond, and winning. Naruto broke the kiss, drawing a quick breath after turning his head to the side. Sasuke had his hand on Naruto's neck, the other supporting his weight.

"What's up?" He asked, panting slightly then licking his own lips. Naruto shook his head, then dragged Sasuke back in by the collar, his other arm drooping lazily over the Raven's shoulder. Their mouths melded, Naruto's hand threading into jet-black hair, snagging on the gelled spikes.

"Oww." Sasuke groaned into their kiss, a small reprimand. He moved to Naruto's neck, kissing a line down to his collarbone, and then staying there to make a mark. A pale hand ghosted up under Naruto's shirt, massaging Naruto's side. Sasuke stopped and looked up at Naruto to find out why he had stopped making little grunts of pleasure. A snore erupted around the room and Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He untangled himself from the blond and looked at his pleasant face as he lay slumped against the flower-patterned wall, blissfully unaware. Sasuke looked at his pants.

"Damn." He muttered through gritted teeth. _Why'd he send me this guy?_ He wondered irritably as he stood up awkwardly, using the sink for support. He rubbed his face with his free hand and then stalked to the door on uncharacteristically wobbly feet. He put his hand on the handle and pulled it open, pausing before he stepped through it. He turned his head to regard the blond on the floor. His neck had fallen awkwardly to the side, his whole body slumped in what looked like an uncomfortable position. His oddly whiskered face was settled in a pout.

Sasuke made to leave again. He stopped. The fight in his head was registering on his face making him finally sigh and march back over to the other teenager. He knelt down and patted the boy on the face slightly.

"Oi," He said, patting him a bit harder when he didn't respond. "Wake up." The blond swatted him away slightly with a limp hand, his head turning and then settling again.

"There's a girl with no bra on in the hallway." Sasuke said, his head resting in his hand as he waited to see if he could get the other boy to wake up.

"Boobs?" Naruto said lazily, his eyes blinking slowly as he tried to train them onto his surroundings. They settled on Sasuke.

"Oh hey Saucecakes. Wassup?" He asked, pulling himself up slightly. Sasuke frowned.

"I'm going to pretend you didn't say that. I'm not leaving you on my bathroom floor, so you're going to have to get up."

"I like you're bathroom floor." Naruto said sleepily, his head resting on the edge of the radiator. Sasuke tsk'ed.

"I don't care, come on moron." Sasuke said, taking Naruto's wrist to help him up. Naruto grumbled but let himself be pulled up. He staggered into Sasuke, his arms around the dark haired boy's waist. He kissed Sasuke's collarbone through his t-shirt and then cuddled against him, a lazy smile on his face.

"So now you want it." Sasuke stated. Naruto just hummed contentedly. Sasuke pulled the blonds' face away from his chest to look him in the eye. It was considerable harder than he thought with Naruto's eyes closed. He peeled the baby blues open with his pale fingers and Naruto frowned.

"Lemme go." He moaned.

"You're the one attached to me." Sasuke stated, his hands sifting though Naruto's hair.

"I want to sleep." Naruto moaned again.

Sasuke sighed slightly "Make up your mind." He manoeuvred the both of them out of the bathroom and down the hall Naruto leaning a lot of his weight against the other boy. Sasuke made use of the blue-stripped wall as support. They passed a few doors until Sasuke stopped at one and pulled it open.

The room was scarcely decorated, plain wooden furniture pushed against the white washed walls, no sign of regular habitation noticeable. The beige curtains were still open, white nettings hanging in front of the window; moonlight filtering in across the double bed set against the far left wall. A head popped out of the thin bed sheet. It was a girl's head, her red hair entirely messy. Her hand groped haphazardly around the mass of the bed in front of her until she came across an small oblong shape. She unfolded the object and pushed it lazily onto her face.

"Get out of here." She called out, settling back into the sheets, still mumbling.

"Leave." Sasuke said, moving into the room and leaning on the wall beside an empty wardrobe. The head stuck out of the covers quickly, like a Meer cat on alert.

"Sasuke?" She inquired, squinting at him. Naruto turned his head at this point, glancing around at the floor and noticing a pile of clothes by the bed. He mumbled and let his eyes slip shut again.

"I need you to get out, Karin." He said, a hand on Naruto's back soothingly.

"Who's that?" The girl asked, ignoring his demand and looking at Naruto instead. She pushed the sheet aside and sat on the edge of the bed in her black underwear. A hand snaked around her stomach and she shrieked and jumped off of the bed. She held a hand to her chest and then looked at Sasuke for understanding. "It's not what it looks like." She said stubbornly, pushing her glasses up her nose and concentrating on the boy at the door. "I couldn't find you, so I-"

"Suigetsu, take your girlfriend and get out." The dark haired boy said, getting annoyed at the situation. He was tired, damn it. Another head poked out.

"Yes sir." The teenager said. He got out of the bed clad in only his blue boxers, his body laced with sleep. He picked up the bundle of clothes lethargically and tossed them at Karin, who caught them clumsily.

"He's not my boy-" She started to say, until said boy heaved her up with his arms around her waist and carried her across the room to the door.

"Hey! Dickwad! Put me down." She said, her free arm flailing wildly, her hand beating on his arm.

"Yeah yeah." He drawled, unmindful of her name-calling and violence. As they passed Sasuke she tried to smile.

"Sasuke, he really isn't, we were just-"

"Fucking." He said, interrupting her. He looked bored while she looked hurt. "I don't care what you do, Karin." She blushed as she was carried through the door. She struggled and Suigetsu finally lost his grip on her. She dropped the bundle of clothes and stalked down the hall. Her frill-clad bum wiggled fiercely as she strutted, the boy following behind her after picking up their clothes. Naruto's eyes popped open in time to see her disappear around the corner.

"I've seen that butt before." He said sleepily.

"I'm intrigued to know how." Sasuke said, frowning slightly. He moved with Naruto still in his arms to the bed, letting go of Naruto who fell backwards onto it. The blond moved his arms in a backward stroke-like way until his head found a pillow while Sasuke closed the bedroom door. Naruto snuggled into a fluffy white pillow, his mind blearily registering the dip in the bed as Sasuke joined him.

"I lied." Naruto said with his eyes shut.

"About what?" Sasuke questioned, lying next to Naruto. Blue eyes opened, surprisingly alert considering the amount of alcohol he had in his stomach previously.

"I do think you're hot." He said, an unnoticeable blush creeping over his face.

"I don't need you to tell me that." Sasuke said with a smirk.

"Bastard." Naruto muttered petulantly. "I'm still drunk." He said, dragging a hand down his face.

"Hn." Sasuke closed his eyes, content on sleeping until he felt a pressure on his lips. He blinked his eyes open again, his vision assaulted with a cloudy blue.

"So, while I'm still drunk," Naruto said, swallowing. "Make out with me." He smiled and Sasuke didn't need any more encouragement. He lifted a leg and slid across Naruto, settling on top of him. Naruto blinked and put his hands on Sasuke's sides, grinning as Sasuke brought his mouth down to his.

X

So! Naruto got lucky, Ino got… not so lucky, Sakura got no luck aaaand Kiba's a lucky git. :D There were a few things that I wanted to make obvious in a not-so-obvious way, so please feel free to let me know if you think you caught anything peculiar. :3 I think I made Sasuke out to be a little strange… what did you think of my characterization of him? I've got a good idea now about where this story is going. Luna


	3. Chapter 3

A dusky orange t-shirt lay abandoned on the pale carpet next to a pair of black and red Adio skate trainers. A black t-shirt slid off the bed and joined it, an arm from the bed having knocked it off. The bed linen lay crumpled at the foot of the bed, discarded. A pair of sock clad feet pushed at the white sheet, stretching and flexing before curling and withdrawing away. The abused sheet draped over the end of the bed, hanging on by twisting into the two posts present there.

Naruto had his eyes squeezed closed, his hands wide on the mattress on either side of him. Sasuke remained straddled over him, his bare chest in direct contact with Naruto's and his pale fingers threaded in buttercup blond hair. His mouth let out hot puffs in between bouts of attentive sucks to Naruto's neck. Dark and shiny hair trailed teasingly over tanned flesh as Sasuke travelled down Naruto's chest, leaving a blazing fire of moth-like touches that couldn't seem to cool in the summer night, the heat contained securely in the bedroom. Naruto gasped and fisted his hands into the sheets around him as Sasuke lapped a pink tongue over his nipple. It overwhelmed him, he couldn't do this.

"Sto- nngh." Naruto's mouth fell open and Sasuke drew his gaze up to seek out baby blues, his tongue still on Naruto's skin. His eyes remained denied of summer skies and he murmured his annoyance into Naruto's flesh. He gave a finally lick which made Naruto snap his mouth shut in order to keep any noises from leaking out, and sat up, sitting on Naruto's lower stomach. Naruto unclenched his hands and used one to wipe over his face, pushing his hair back from his sweaty forehead. He panted slightly. _I'm sobering up… this is bad._

Sasuke put his hands either side of Naruto's head, causing Naruto's eyes to go wide. He leaned down and Naruto hurriedly put his hands over Sasuke's mouth. Black pearl eyes snapped open, full of annoyance.

Naruto gave an unsteady laugh, shrugging his shoulders.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow and Naruto dropped his hands.

"Why're we stopping?" Sasuke asked, his arousal dampening.

"I… You know, I just realised something." Naruto said hurriedly. "Yeah, erm, Sashkay-"

"It's Sasuke." The raven said, sitting backwards on Naruto and folding his arms.

"Right, right. _Sasuke._" Naruto said, wincing at his own mispronunciation and easing himself up onto his elbows.

"I remember you're name, moron."

"Hey! My name isn't moron." Naruto said, pouting. Sasuke smirked and Naruto shook his head. "Erm, no, I want to tell you something. It's important."

"Couldn't what ever it is wait until later…? How about in the morning-" Sasuke leant back down towards Naruto slowly, his mouth set in a cocky expression that Naruto was quickly coming to realise was the boy's trademark.

"Not really." Naruto said desperately, leaning away from Sasuke. _I can't do this,_ Naruto asserted in his head.

Naruto gasped as the door to the room was flung open, slamming against the wall and creating a groove mark. Both his and Sasuke's heads snapped to the door, but their expressions were very different. Sasuke wore a frown and Naruto let out a sigh of relief at the interruption.

"Sakura?" The blond questioned, recognising his friend. Her arrival made a blush redden his cheeks slightly, but her attention wasn't on him, wasn't on anything in particular at all.

"She does have small boobs." Sasuke commented from above him. Naruto ignored the comment and frowned as Sakura hugged the doorframe. She wiped a hand across her face and staggered into the room towards the bed, crossing the carpet and collapsing on the ground beside it. She looked at Naruto with glassy eyes.

"Naruto…" She whispered out, a far off expression on her face. Naruto glanced at Sasuke and pushed at his shoulder, the dark haired boy groaning and moving off Naruto to the space beside him.

"I'm a…" Sakura began before pausing.

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked when she stopped talking. "Why aren't you with Ino? How much have you had to drink?" Naruto shot questions at her, swinging his legs over the side of the bed so he could speak to her in a more comfortable position. She took his hands and pulled slightly on them, so he got off the bed to settle on the floor beside her. Tears sat unshed in her wide eyes, her mouth gaping open and shut, open and shut. Naruto removed his hands from hers, using them to steady her face so she had to look at him. Her eyes darted around Naruto's face, unable to stay on his eyes for more than a second.

"A girl told me where to find you." She finally stuttered out, unable to get to the point directly.

"Who - what girl?" Naruto questioned. A tear slid down her rosy cheek and onto Naruto's hand. She didn't try to catch it herself.

"A red head." She stated. Naruto just sighed. He felt bad that he'd wandered off and she'd been looking for him.

"What happened to you?" He asked. She opened her pink lips, minus their usual dewy balm. No sound came out. She tried again.

"My mum… she called me. She told me to come home. Naruto, I don't want to go home." Naruto opened his mouth to talk, but she interrupted him

"I'm a bad friend, Naruto. I didn't mean to… for what happened, I… is it my fault?" She gripped his hands, holding them onto her face fiercely. "Tell me! Am I a bad friend?" She gripped his hands so hard she left little crescent moon marks on his fingers. Naruto kept the pain from his face, his concern too strong to worry about anything beyond her suffering.

"Sakura, stop. I don't know what you're talking about. Will you ju-" She started shaking her head rapidly in Naruto's palms, Naruto having to use force to keep her head still. "Sakura!"

She stopped dead in his hands. A few tears ran belatedly down her face to pool in the crease between her and Naruto's skin. She focused on his face and it was like something in her clicked back on again. She gulped. Intelligence and awareness swarmed into green, foamy depths. "I'm sorry Naruto… I don't know what came over me." Naruto released her face and she used the ball of her palm to rub her eyes, a small choked laugh bubbling out of her throat.

Naruto looked at her with concern, his hand on her knee. He leaned forward and drew her into a hug after she failed to move her hands from her eyes. She collapsed against him.

"Sorry to break this touching moment apart, but I'd really like to carry on from where we left off." Sakura stiffened in Naruto's arms. The blond loosened his hold after hissing a "shut up!" at Sasuke and she drew out of it slowly, looking at the dark haired boy on the bed with astonished eyes.

"Naruto." She said, surprised. She looked between them and suddenly noticed their states of partial undress. "Were you guys-"

"Wrestling!" Naruto shouted, causing Sakura to lean back slightly in surprise at his outburst. "We were wrestling." Sasuke raised an eyebrow, his head resting in his palm. Naruto nodded. "Right Sasuke?" He looked at Sasuke for conformation. Sakura looked as Sasuke too, waiting for his response.

"… A form of wrestling." Sasuke said, somewhat obliging. He took his eyes off the two friends on the floor and lay on his back, hands locked on his stomach. _More games._ He failed to see Naruto let his mouth drop open slightly and his eyes reflect hurt at Sasuke's easy dismissal, but Sakura caught it before Naruto snapped his mouth shut and drew his eyes away from the brooding boy on the bed.

Naruto suddenly felt as naked as he was, causing him to reach next to Sakura to pull the first shirt on that he could find, which incidentally was his own.

"Rightttt." Sakura said, disbelievingly, her eyes still switching between the both of them slowly. It appeared that the scene that she was now able to focus on had sobered her somewhat. Naruto got up and offered Sakura a hand, which she accepted. She wobbled slightly, Naruto catching her elbow.

"Lets talk in the hallway." He said, trying to take control of the situation. He kept her steady as they walked to the exit, Sakura staring at Sasuke over her shoulder. Sasuke watched them walk to the door. He watched them walk through the door. He watched Naruto close the door. Naruto avoided his eye as he shut it causing Sasuke to sigh. _Itachi picked someone I could… tolerate, for a change. _He covered his eyes at the thought.

X

"When we're both sober we're going to have a lot to talk about." Sakura said, leaning against the stripy wall in the hallway outside. Naruto gave a nervous laugh, wanting to keep his sober state of mind a secret.

"No kidding, what's up with you?" Naruto said, leaning against the opposite wall.

"No no no no, Naruto, _you_ tell _me_ what's up with _you_. With that guy." She said, pointing at the closed white door with her index finger but her wide eyes on Naruto. "That shirtless guy. That you were _wrestling_ with." She blew air out her mouth, a look of disbelief on her face as she dropped her arm. "Yeah, right, and I'm Nanny McPhee." She said, letting out an alcohol-induced giggle at her own joke. She clutched at her stomach. "I can't believe you snagged him." She said, straightening up. "Ohh, I needed that." Naruto frowned as she joked at the situation.

"You're right, we are definitely way too drunk to talk about this now. Why don't you go downstairs and find Ino, and I'll come and join you guys in a minute?" He asked, smiling grimly. Sakura narrowed her eyes.

"You've got something to hide Naruto."

"So have you, judging by what just happened." Naruto said quickly, trying to persuade her that now wasn't that time or the place.

"Don't get all responsible on me." She said, pouting. "Naruto, are you gay?" She asked bluntly. Unrelenting.

"No!" He lurched forward slightly with his response. "I mean, no, I'm not gay." He said, settling again. Sakura eyed him suspiciously. "Seriously, drop it okay?" She chewed at her bottom lip as she scrutinised him, then shrugged.

"He doth protest too much. I'll go downstairs." Her eyes grew dim at the prospect of leaving her best friend. "Please don't be long." She wasn't crying, but Naruto could her the tears from earlier still sitting in her throat, even through the giggles she'd just produced. She pushed off from the wall and swerved slightly, putting her arms out to steady her. "Whoa." She put her hand on her head and then carried on down the corridor. "Stupid." She mumbled as she disappeared down the stairs.

Naruto relaxed against the wall, rubbing his recreationally worn hands over his face. He peeked through his fingers at the door with an expression of offence. _Stupid door… stupid occupant behind stupid door. _He sighed dramatically and walked to the door, gathering the confidence he was known for and pushing it open before shutting it behind himself. _You don't get stuff done by standing around._ Sasuke was lying on his back, gazing at the ceiling with one of his knees bent up when Naruto focused on him. He moved his head to face Naruto.

"Why are you lying to her?" He asked. Naruto sighed and walked over to the bed, sitting on top of the rumpled sheet at the end of it. Sasuke noticed the distance and frowned, but didn't say anything.

"I didn't lie."

"Yes, you did." Sasuke said, getting to his knees. Naruto turned around to face him, one leg on the bed but the other hanging over the side. Naruto's face was strong, but an undercurrent of instability at his situation allowed his insecurity to shine in his eyes. He laughed, but it didn't dull the emotions he was unaware he was dishing out. Sasuke caught it all, and it made his chest uncomfortable, which surprised him. He frowned. Naruto thought it was directed at him.

"What does it matter to you, huh? All we did was- we only-" Naruto couldn't get the words out, his mouth unable to form them.

"Kiss." Sasuke said bluntly.

"Yeah, that." Naruto huffed and stood up, dragging his hands through his hair. "I can joke about it, I can play chicken with a guy, I can pinch a guys arse! But I'm not. Gay." He stressed the last few words and levelled his determined gaze at Sasuke, no room for argument showing through.

"I want you to give me your number." Sasuke said instead. _If this guy thinks he's straight, I'll let him live in the closet until he's suffocating to get out. _Naruto started slightly at the rapid changed of conversation.

"Why do you want it?" He asked suspiciously, his hands falling to his sides.

"We can be… friends. Guys can be friends with guys without actually being gay." Sasuke explained.

"Gee, I didn't know that." He said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "I just don't think it's a good idea, what with you being gay and all." Naruto said, shifting on his feet. Sasuke chewed the inside of his cheek to keep a sarcastic comment coming out about Naruto's own sexuality, lest he angered the other teenager too much and he refused to leave a number.

"I'm not going to send you suspicious text messages." Sasuke rubbed his temple with his fingers as he settled back on the bed, Naruto still hovering near the bed on the carpet, in walking distance of the door. "Look, I'm not going to do anything. Stop acting so fucking shit worried that I'm going to jump your bones while your back is turned." He pushed his bangs out of his face, his agitation growing. Naruto smiled, finding it amusing that that was exactly what Sasuke had done most of the evening.

"Okay." Naruto started nodding his head as he trundled over to the bed, almost as if his earlier trepidation had disappeared instantly. "Sure, I'll give you my number then." Sasuke raised a jet-black eyebrow at his change of heart. Naruto shrugged, his grin widening as he stopped by the bed. "Do you have a pen or your mobile or something?" Naruto asked. Sasuke couldn't help but notice how Naruto's grin lit up his whole face, but he also noticed the playful look in the teen's baby blues, replacing his early self-conscious emotions somewhat.

"I don't need one. I've got a good memory." Sasuke said, his eyes wary but his demeanour confident.

"Okay." Naruto said, putting a knee up on the bed. He recited it to Sasuke, his smile never faltering. Sasuke nodded once the blond finished, his eyes trained intently on Naruto. "Right, I've got to go. Sakura's in a crisis, in case you missed her hysterics earlier."

"I remember." He said as he lounged back on the pillows, his tone uncaring.

"…Right. Anyway, I guess I'll be hearing from you." He put a hand over his mouth as he was unable to stop a trickle of laughter from pouring out.

"Hn." Sasuke said, his eyes showing none of his inside wariness at Naruto's good mood.

Naruto lifted his knee from the bed and searched the floor for his trainers. Sasuke watched him as he slipped them on, noticing how he cursed when he caught his thumb. How he didn't bother to retie his laces even though they were loose.

"Bye Bastard." Naruto said as he grinned and crossed the room, Sasuke watching him close the door for a second time.

X

Naruto tried to contain a laugh as he sped down the hallway, a tan hand covering his mouth as he bent at the waist as barks of laughter tried to escape. He got to the top of the stairs quickly, taking them two at a time with a huge grin on his face. He landed with a thud at the bottom, a girl lounging on the floor startled out of her somewhat comatose state by his sudden and loud appearance. She gave him a filthy look, turning her nose up at him and closing her eyes once again.

Naruto smiled apologetically, even though she was no longer looking at him, then darted across the rest of the hallway into the front room. The music had been reduced to a respectable hum of background noise, the majority of the occupants in the room either passed out or making out, no one looking up as he surveyed the room. He frowned as he failed to locate his friends until a clatter of sudden sound alerted him to possible occupants in the kitchen. A shout of indignation made him jog across the room and yank the door open, a few people wincing in the unexpected column of light from the kitchen.

What Naruto saw had him stuck between confused laughter and shouts of concern.

"Ino? What're you doing?" He asked in astonishment.

"She's gone crazy!" Shouted Kiba, his arms around Ino's waist in a death grip as he wrenched her away from a distraught heap on the floor.

"Let go of me you drunken bastard!" She screeched, a pair of kitchen scissors grasped tightly in her hand.

"You've got fucking scissors in your hands! What the shitting hell are you thinking? Are you even thinking at all? You could have hurt her!" Naruto switched his attention from the rowing pair to the heap on the floor that he now recognised as Hinata. She glanced up at Naruto with tears in her eyes, her bottom lip protruding and her dress cut to ribbons. Naruto jogged over to her and pulled her carefully to her feet, the dark haired girl leaning on him, heavy with emotion.

Ino bucked in Kiba's grasp and he released her violently, sending her staggering a few feet away. They both wore twin expressions of repulsion. Kiba stalked over to where Naruto was cradling Hinata, his face hard as he ran his hands protectively down her shuddering arms, his eyes still on Ino. She tisked and turned her back to the trio, her arms folded with the scissors poking out menacingly, not wanting to be forgotten.

"What happened?" Naruto asked, his face full of confusion.

"That crazy bitch thought it would be a good idea to hack Hinata's dress to pieces." Kiba spat out, Hinata patting Naruto on the shoulder as a form of thanks before turning and nestling into Kiba's chest. His arms came up around her as Ino span around to face them.

"I was updating her look! You know, making her more modern? Duh! She looks like she just stepped out of the Victorian times, I was doing her a _favour_." She said spitefully.

"Hinata looks fine without your slutty input thanks very much! Not every girl wants to look like she's just stepped out of a FUCKING brothel!" He hollered, his face contorted with protective rage. Hinata gripped his shirt with her fist and let out a whimper. Kiba ran a hand over her hair in a soothing manner, much like a parent would do to a child whilst muttering words of comfort, but his face remained turned to Ino.

"You know what? I give up. I fucking do." She said, sneering. She flung the scissors into the sink with a clattering clunk, before stalking purposefully through the kitchen door that led to the front room.

"Good! Do us all a bloody favour why don't you." Kiba said, mumbling in Hinata's hair by the end of his sentence. He closed his eyes and sighed, intent on calming himself and his girlfriend down.

Naruto surveyed the ruined dress while the couple took solace in each other. It was a good few inches shorter, the dodgy cut barely covering the girl's modesty. There was a jagged rip down the back of it to almost the base of her spine, and one sleeve was snipped clean off. It left little to the imagination, Naruto feeling a little embarrassed for the poor girl.

"You've got to introduce me to that girl." Naruto turned his head at the sound of the female voice, his mind registering the girl as the brunette who had carved numbers into the wooden chopping board earlier.

"Erm, sure." Naruto said, giving her a wary smile. The girl nodded and grinned.

"I like the way she handled those scissors." She said with a short bark of laughter whilst heaving herself onto the nearest kitchen counter. "Reminds me of myself." She crossed her legs. "My names Ten-Ten."

"…I'll be sure to let her know." Naruto said, smiling tightly while muttering 'weird' under his breath as he turned back to comfort Hinata.

The door connecting to the front room creaked open, Sakura poking her head through. Ten-Ten looked up from her nails, but clicked her tongue ad returned to picking at them when she realised it wasn't Ino. Naruto clocked his pink haired friend, turning around to face her as Sakura took in the scene before her with a knowing look.

"Ohh… poop." Sakura said, wincing as she registered an angry Kiba and a fragile Hinata. Naruto motioned her over and she sidled through the door, padding over to where Naruto stood. Naruto wondered offhandedly where her shoes were. "Ah, I meant to tell you that Ino had gone a little crazy. I didn't think she'd get that extreme though." She frowned at the sight of Hinata's dress.

"You knew this was happening?" Naruto asked incredulously. "And you left her? Why?"

"I didn't know she was going to do this, did I?" She said, her eyes wide and hurt. "And what were you doing, huh? Why I had to hold the fort with all of our drunken friends."

"Never mind that," Naruto said quickly, waving his hand as if to dispel Sakura's train of thought. "Mini crisis here." He said, using his thumb to motion over his shoulder. "Tell me what happened."

Sakura launched into her story with less gusto than was typical of her personality.

"After you disappeared up stairs," Naruto grinned sheepishly as Sakura gave him a look of mild intrigue, "I took Ino into the front room to relax after her, ahem, second encounter with Shika."

"Yeah I saw him looking for her before that."

"Yeah… anyway, they had a barney so I took her drunken backside into the living room and left her to check on Hinata and Kiba. Hinata had sobered a little and was a little embarrassed at blatantly making out with Kiba - wasn't that funny? - said she'd check on Ino for me." She sighed wearily and rubbed her right eye, unmindful of the mess of makeup surrounding it. "I was like fair enough, I mean, she was in a bit of a dramatic mood. Hinata could deal with her, right? Well, that's what I thought. You know how she is." Naruto ignored her slight hypocrisy considering her antics in the spare bedroom a little while earlier. "Well anyway, she was gone a while so I went to have a look for them and found Ino trimming at Hinata's dress. All good-naturedly, no harm intend and such. I rang Mr Hyuuga for Kiba and Hinata, so that they could go home. Well, then _my_ phone rang after that…" Her mood sagged further and Naruto put his hand on her arm, worried about her earlier dramatics. She took a step back, a smile stitched crookedly onto her face.

"It's not your fault Sakura." He said.

"It is- I know that, you stupid douche." She replied, pushing her hair back from her face. She looked worn and slightly on edge, her eyes darting from behind Naruto to anywhere but behind Naruto. The blond gave her a quizzical look but she backed up to the furthest away kitchen entrance. "I'm going to find my shoes, then I'm leaving." She said, pulling on the door handle.

"Wait, Sakura, tell me what happened, you know, with your phone call from your mum." He kindly demanded, but she shook her head.

"When I'm sober, properly. Okay?" Sakura grinned and disappeared around the door.

"This house is full of nutters." Kiba muttered.

"Shut up dog breath." Naruto answered absentmindedly, debating whether to follow Sakura or stay put. He decided to stay, encouraged by Kiba to keep an eye on Hinata while he went to search for a jacket to cover her with.

"How're you feeling?" He asked. She looked at the floor, then up at him, pulling at the hem of her dress in an effort to magically make it grow. Naruto felt slightly sorry for her and her non-growing dress.

"Um, a little, ah-" She put a hand on her cheek and gave a desperate smile. "A little silly, if I'm a-absolutely honest."

"No need!" Naruto said, grinning with his hands in his pockets. "Everyone'll get over it." She gave him a look of disbelief and he shrugged. "Probably." He added with a laugh. "Ino might take a little longer."

"I h-hope so." Hinata shifted so that the island in the middle of the kitchen hid the bottom half of her body from anyone who came through the doors, and more specifically, Naruto. "Not that I hope Ino takes longer to get o-over it!" She mumbled quickly, realising her slight mistake. "I hope she t-takes no time. I-infact she needn't get over anything at all. I quite like my n-new look, it's very, um, very…" She trailed off with a desperate look in her eyes, making Naruto feel slightly uncomfortable and out of his depth.

"Don't sweat it… okay?" He said nervously, scratching at his head. "Seriously, err, everything's going to be fine and-"

"Laaame." Ten-Ten stated, hopping down from the kitchen side and shoving her way through the far kitchen door just as Kiba came through. She tutted as they passed and Kiba gave her a disgruntled look.

"Every chick's got a problem tonight." He complained, shaking his head.

"You know what women're like." Naruto said, adding with wide eyes at Hinata, "Not you Hinata, just other… women." He trailed off.

"It's okay." She mumbled while Kiba helped her into a man's blazer, the length falling to her knees. She hugged the jacket around her.

"It's all I could find." He grumbled.

"No, it's great. Thank you." She gave him a delicate smile and Naruto watched as Kiba visibly melted at the look.

"Babe!" He cried, pulling her roughly into his arms. Hinata gasped and then giggled at the affection whilst bringing her arms up around him.

"There's a car beeping out the front I think it's for-" Sakura lifted her head as she came through the door, one shoe in her hand, the other on her right foot. She caught the sight of Kiba and Hinata hugging each other as if their very lives would end if they were separated, causing her to look away quickly as an embarrassed hue lit up her cheeks. "I think it's for you guys. Mr Hyuuga." She mumbled out.

Kiba looked at her and frowned as she worried at her lip.

"Err, thanks." Sakura gave a small flinch causing Naruto to frown. Her eyes wandered the room, avoiding looking at anyone as Kiba took Hinata's arm and led her from the kitchen, giving Naruto slap on the shoulder as he passed in a friendly gesture, but ignoring Sakura. Naruto whistled as he heard the front door click shut faintly.

"Are you okay?" He asked, leaning against the kitchen island.

"I'm fine! I'd be even better if people stopped asking me that _stupid_ question." She bit out crossly, chucking her shoe onto the floor and shoving her foot roughly into it. "I'm leaving." She declared after her shoe battle.

"I'll come with yo-" Naruto said, pushing away from the counter in an effort to follow her.

"Don't bother. I'll speak to you soon." She answered sharply as she got to the kitchen door.

"Sakura!" Naruto caught her arm but she wrenched away from him.

"Seriously Naruto!" She scalded hotly. "I'm going home, to my mum just like she wanted me to. I'll speak to you soon. Later. Tomorrow probably." She bit out. "So back off." She said through gritted teeth before twisting to walk through the door once more. Naruto quickly darted to the door and slammed it shut, leaning his full weight against it so Sakura couldn't get through.

"I'm not letting you go home in this state. Tell me what's wrong for God's sake!" He growled quickly, putting his hands on her shoulders. She shoved them off.

"Nothing's wrong! Everything's fine. Fine, fine, fucking fine." She sing-songed bitterly as she moved back a couple of steps.

"You're in a state, things obviously aren't fine, talk to me." He softly demanded. Her eyes welled up.

"I will." She said as her bottom lip trembled pitifully. "Tomorrow. Tomorrow I'll tell you things, but not tonight. Let me go tonight." Her voice wobbled threateningly as she rubbed her arms roughly.

"Sakura I just want to help-"

"So leave me!" She screamed. "Go on! Leave me the fuck alone!" She cried, her hands balled into raging fists at her sides. With a last bid effort she dashed across the kitchen and through the other door leading to the front room. Naruto cursed and dashed after her, darting through the threshold into the front room only to trip over a tangle of legs and lay crumpled on the floor.

"Oww." He groaned, rubbing his head. His rosette friend disappeared into the hallway at an alarming pace.

"Sorry man, our bad. Better go get your chick, looked pretty pissed." A guy mumbled before burying his face back into his cushion next to a couple of sleeping girls.

"No kidding." The front door slammed and Naruto mumbled, pulling himself into a sitting position with a sigh. He let her go.

X

Hmm. Did Sakura seem a bit weird? Luna


End file.
